My soul has been stirred by many of nature's wonders... But, of all of nature's scenes that I have enjoyed and pondered, none have enthralled me more than those of children playing--playing on their own, without adults guiding or interrupting them. My words are poor substitutes for the actual scenes, but let me try to convey two examples that have moved me

In 1981, then-junior high history teacher Michael Zahs lucked into a treasure trove of relics from a Washington, Iowa basement. He took a chance on what might have been so many boxes of junk, because of their source — they had originally been owned by W. Frank Brinton, a man who had been known locally

Just because you're strapped for cash doesn't mean you can't have any fun. Whether you enjoy being outdoors or would rather kick back at home, there are plenty of ideas to choose from. Not only will you stay on your target budget, but you'll still have a

This is a youtube video of French artist Fabienne Verdier making a painting. Verdier makes monumental paintings with monumental tools. Fabienne began painting in China in the 1980s to learn the traditional art of Chinese painting. She was later inspired by classical European artists and began to create her own aesthetic. Her paintings are made from a massive brush made out of horse tails. The brush hangs from the ceiling and she pushes it around using handles. Verdier does not just create random lines and shapes, but meditates prior to creation to consider her composition.

Motoi Yamamoto is a contemporary artist from Japan. He creates beautiful and delicate installations from lines of salt. The pieces are temporary and site-specific; only enhancing their etherial beauty. Salt is a symbol of mourning in Japanese culture. Yamamoto began using these salt installations as a way to cope with the loss of his sister to breast cancer. His use the same shapes and line patterns in rigorous repetition demonstrate an almost meditative state while he creates. While watching this video one can see how focused he is on creating the same pattern over and over, but while still considering composition and general affect of the finished piece.

Known also for his massive installations and firework performances, Chinese contemporary artist Cia Guo-Qiang also creates monumental drawings using gunpowder explosions. He uses the variation in value from the fire and burning of the paper to create drawings. Qiang has said that his drawings represent the memories he had from growing up in China. Gunpowder was a familiar substance from him growing up in China it symbolizes a destructive force that can be used for harm or as a symbol of celebration in his native country. His drawings often include political themes and themes that reflect every day Chinese culture.

Marlene Dumas’ famous portraits are based around photographs she takes of her subject. This German artist somehow captures the spirit of the individuals she is portraying through her almost grotesque use of mark making and color. Her marks are washy and blend together through translucent lawyers giving an almost haunting representation of the people she is portraying. Her marks and layers leave the viewer almost repulsed by her work. However, her ability to create such strong emotions through her washy translucent marks on paper and canvas solidifies her as an important contemporary mark maker.

Law of Mother Earth sees Bolivia pilot new social and economic model based on protection of and respect for nature. Bolivia is to become the first country in the world to give nature comprehensive legal rights in an effort to halt climate change and the exploitation of the natural world, and to i

Taho's insight:

Bolivia and the united rainforest nations appear to be on a very good path toward the betterment of the global environment as well as local economic and environmental betterment also.

Yellena James is a contemporary artist working out of Portland, Oregon. What I really enjoy about her work is the delicate nature of her lines and how she uses color to compliment and layer. Her lines and shapes to form beautiful whimsical pieces that also suggest natural landscapes. James’ impressive use of color and overlapping create images that are visually depth and engage the viewer in. While some of her images are figurative, the majority are pure composition with succinct patterns. At a distance the pics are explosions of color, but up close you an see the laborious attention to detail and precision that is simply delightful.

Yago Hortal is a painter from Barcelona, Spain. His paintings are about decision making and the use of colors and movement together. The bright colors in the paintings excite the viewer and engage them in the works. The most imprint element in his work is how the marks he makes move across the canvas. It is obvious to see where his arm moved the brush and where he made decisions about where to overlap colors and where to change colors to create a successful composition.

Who knew Sharpies could look so sweet? Using permanent markers on acrylic paint and vinyl floor, photographer and artist Heike Weber has created these stunning drawing installations in the Villa Wachholtz in Germany. Born in 1962 in Siegen, North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, he has been displaying solo and group exhibitions for the last twenty years. Here’s how it …

Hieke Weber creates site specific drawing installations with sharpie markers. The drawings span the length of rooms and consist of repetitive lines. The lines are positioned in way so that they appear three-dimensional. Once finished, the drawings appear to jump off the wall in an almost optical illusion. Weber begins by painting the room white and then she colors everything with felt tipped markers. Her use of a single media and repetition create intense unity in the space and creates a drawing that overwhelms the viewer. Her work is extremely labor intensive and she and her team can spend days on a single plane of the site specific work.

Jacqueline Humphries creates richly layered art works that place emphasis on composition and space. Her work uses a variety of colors, but in carefully chosen color schemes. Her work demonstrates layer upon layer of mark making in pain that varies from painting to painting. Sometimes her work is simplistic while others are demonstrate an elaborate depth to the mark making. While her work is completely without subject matter her use of line and color are the undeniable focal point in her work . Her paintings demonstrate laborious covering and uncovering her work to reveal and cover layers she has created with paint. This mark making making and vigorous layering creates a sense of dynamic movement in the work that makes the paintings an exciting experience rather than a static bore.

Shadowlands is a Greenpeace presentation of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the displaced people, and the human cost of a serious nuclear accident and features the work of award-winning photographer Robert Knoth and documentary maker Antoinette de Jong.

Taho's insight:

Shadowlands could be an ideal example of ideas that do not work if political authorities would fight for the needs (not the wants and unnecessary desires) of human and environmental life.

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